


Altissian Flora

by starlightened



Series: The Flower Girl [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Matchmaking, This is basically all fluff and I do not apologize at all, nosy friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-24 16:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9769598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightened/pseuds/starlightened
Summary: “He’s got it bad,” Noctis remarked from where he, Ignis and Gladio stood in the plaza just outside the shop. They could see them inside, Prompto talking animatedly and Artemisia maintaining that bright smile with her hands clasped together in front of her apron.“Do you think he’s going to make a move?” Glad questioned, scratching at his beard.“Prompto may be a natural flirt, but unfortunately we know that tact is not his forte,” Ignis replied, shifting his weight as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I suggest we devise a plan.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Who doesn't love Prompto and who doesn't also love fluff? This is based on a request I got on Tumblr, where Prompto falls for a sweet, demure florist in Altissia. And I wanted the sunshine child to be happy, so I wrote him something cute.
> 
> Follow my FFXV writing blog at nifwrites.tumblr.com!

Altissia had to be one of the most amazing cities that Prompto had ever seen. Before leaving with Noctis and the others, he’d never really left the Crown City before. So when the boat docked and he stepped onto the city’s busy streets, he was in complete awe.

The canals wove through stone archways and under bridges, and there was a distinctly sweet aroma in the air from all the patisseries and shops lining the streets.

“Can we go explore?” Prompto begged, clasping his hands together like a small child. He bounced from foot to foot as Ignis sighed, though a smile graced his features.

“That’s up to Noct.”

Prompto turned to his best friend. “Come on, buddy. Let’s walk around a bit! It’s not every day we get to see the capital of Accordo!”

Noctis shrugged. “Don’t see why not.”

Prompto whooped and pumped his fist in the air. “Come on, let’s go this way!” He grabbed Noct’s arm and dragged him along a side street. Ignis placed over at Gladio, who shrugged and started after them.

The city was truly amazing. A lot more open than Lestallum, and with a lot more people. Ignis went off in search of new ingredients for recipes, and Gladio was speaking to an arms dealer. Prompto was in the middle of convincing Noctis to buy some pastries for later when something caught his eye.

It was a small flower shop tucked away in the corner of a plaza. It had a narrow arched doorway with an antique bell at the top, and the most amazing floral arrangement Prompto had ever seen in the window. There were flowers he had never even seen before, different shapes and colour combinations that piqued his curiosity. He placed his hand on the worn door handle and pulled it open.

The bell clinked as he entered the shop. The interior matched the door’s aesthetic—it was quaint, with worn hardwood floors and walls that were painted a deep green. The shelves were a deep, warm brown and gold filigree accented the edges. It immediately felt very cozy, and Prompto began examining some golden, almost iridescent flowers he wasn’t familiar with.

“Can I help you with something?” 

Prompto turned in the direction of the voice. It was melodic, and very sweet, like the sound of songbirds at first light. He spun around and felt his breath hitch in his throat.

The florist who’d addressed him was probably the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. She wasn’t a stereotypical sort of beautiful, but her large doe eyes, button nose and the small smile gracing her lips made her, in Prompto’s mind, absolutely stunning. She wore glasses that slid down her nose, her dark hair pulled back in a loose bun. She wore what looked to be the uniform of the store, a dark green button up that was a little loose with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, black pants and a white apron that had the golden flower he’d been examining sprawled across the front in delicate embroidery. It took him a second to respond when he noticed that she was shifting uncomfortably.

“N-no,” he finally stuttered. “I’m just browsing. Never been to Altissia before, actually.”

“Oh,” she smiled, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. She moved to stand next to him, pointing to the flower he’d been examining earlier. “This is the flower of the capital city. It grows in abundance here, because the canals make the air just the right temperature for them to bloom. Most other places are too dry.” She turned to face him with a smile. “Would you like a small bouquet? Since it’s your first time here, I’m offering it to you free of charge.”

Prompto blushed, scratching at the back of his head with a bit of a stammering giggle. He mentally punched himself for sounding so juvenile. “Sure! I mean, if it’s not too much trouble, that would be amazing—”

Suddenly the bell clanked and more bodies entered the small shop. It was the others.

“Prompto,” Noctis called from the doorway. “Come on. Gotta make tracks.”

“Uh, just a second!” he replied, before turning back to the florist with a frown. “I’m sorry. Duty calls.”

She looked sad for a split second, but regained composure so quickly that he almost didn’t notice. “That’s alright,” she finally said. “Go on, your friends are waiting.”

Prompto craned his neck to look over at his friends. Noct was fiddling with his phone, Ignis was looking all around, mumbling to himself about the different plants that were housed in the small store, and Gladio was looking right at him, wiggling his eyebrows. Prompto felt his face go ten shades of scarlet and quickly turned back to the girl.

“Let’s make a rain check on the flowers,” he said, and she smiled, a simple upward curve of her lips. “I’d like to know more about the different kinds you have here.”

She gave a small nod. “I’d like that.”

“What’s your name?” he asked, realizing he’d never introduced herself. “Mine’s Prompto.”

“Artemisia,” she answered, pushing her glasses further up her nose. “It’s nice to meet you, Prompto.”

Prompto heard the sound of a throat clearing and remembered that his friends were waiting for him. “See you again soon?” 

She nodded in affirmation with a small bow. “See you again soon.”

Prompto rejoined with the others and exited the shop. Artemisia sighed, and went back to tending her flowers.

“Who was that?” Noctis teased once they’d left. “New girlfriend?”

“W-what?” Prompto stuttered. “No way!”

“She not pretty enough for you?” Gladio teased. “Or is this another case of Cindy Syndrome? Or Aranea syndrome?”

“No, nothing like that!” Prompto exclaimed, running his hands over his face. “She’s…I don’t know. She’s different.”

“She seemed quite lovely,” Ignis remarked, patting Prompto on the back. “And she also seemed quite interested in you.”

“No way,” Prompto responded glumly. “She was just being nice. Someone like her…I don’t know. I could just tell that she was a good person, you know? But she probably just saw me as just another customer.”

The others exchanged a look and dropped the subject.

It was a while until the next time the guys returned to Altissia. The first time they returned, Prompto made it a point to visit Artemisia at the flower shop. They chatted for a while, and she showed him some different flowers from other neighbouring regions. Prompto was listening, he really was, but he couldn’t stop looking at Artemisia’s face. She noticed a few times and blushed before refocusing on the flora. 

The group came to visit Altissa pretty frequently after that. Prompto came to visit Artemisia every time, and they started to get to know one another pretty well. Artemisia was shy, but Prompto’s enthusiasm for everything around him and his warm, welcoming nature made it easy to open up. The first time he got her to laugh, his heart swelled with pride. He told himself to make her laugh more often, because the musical lilt of it was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.

“He’s got it bad,” Noctis remarked from where he, Ignis and Gladio stood in the plaza just outside the shop. They could see them inside, Prompto talking animatedly and Artemisia maintaining that bright smile with her hands clasped together in front of her apron.

“Do you think he’s going to make a move?” Glad questioned, scratching at his beard.

“Prompto may be a natural flirt, but unfortunately we know that tact is not his forte,” Ignis replied, shifting his weight as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I suggest we devise a plan.”

“We gonna play Cupid?” Gladio teased.

“It’s clear to anyone observing the two of them that they are infatuated with one another,” Ignis replied cooly. “Well, that is, clear to anyone except to each other, as it were. We may have to set up something for the two of them without letting the other know.” Then, the three friends came up with a strategy.

“I’ll deal with Prompto,” Noctis agreed. “You guys wanna handle talking to Artemisia?”

“Done and done,” Gladio gave a thumbs up. 

The next day, it had all been arranged. Noctis stole Prompto for the day, and Ignis and Gladio beelined for the flower shop. 

When the bell rang overhead, Artemisia turned, half expecting to see Prompto at the doorway. Instead she saw his two friends, the taller, thin one and the giant covered in tattoos. She looked at them curiously.

“Hi boys,” she greeted. “What can I help you with?”

“Hello, Miss Artemisia,” Ignis replied politely. “We wanted to come see you in regards to Prompto.”

Her expression faltered. “Is he alright?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” Gladio replied. “Never better.”

“He’s asked us to relay a message,” Ignis said. “He wanted you to meet him at the restaurant on the second floor of the plaza, the one that overlooks the canal tonight. Will you be able to attend?”

Artemisia’s face flushed, but she tried to keep her composure. “Um, y-yes. Sure.”

“Perfect,” Ignis smiled. “We shall pass along the message. Have a good day.” They turned and exited the store.

“That was easy,” Gladio remarked as they made their way down the street. “Wonder if Noct is having much trouble.”

“She wants to meet with me at the restaurant tonight?” Prompto asked incredulously. “When did she tell you this?”

“Look,” Noctis groaned, running a hand over his face. “Just go tonight, alright? That’s a royal order.”

Prompto held his hands up defensively. “Alright dude. Twisting my arm here.”

At nightfall, Artemisia closed up the shop and changed out of her uniform. She hadn’t been expecting to be asked out to dinner, and she didn't have enough time to run home and change. She wore a casual day dress, simple and light blue, with capped sleeves and a scoop neck that fell just above her knees. She glanced at her reflection in the window as she left, and sighed. She took her hair out of her bun and it fell in long, dark waves down her back, hoping that she didn’t look like too much of a mess.

When she got to the restaurant upstairs, Prompto wasn’t there yet. She decided to take a minute to compose herself, leaning against the railing of the balcony that overlooked the port of Altissia. The breeze felt nice against her skin, cooling the heat that flushed in her cheeks.

“Wow,” she heard from behind her. She turned and saw Prompto, who looked absolutely stunned. “You look…beautiful.”

Artemisia blushed and looked down at her feet, her hair falling in front of her face. “Thank you,” she said, looking back up at him. He’d changed his shirt for something a little more formal, a dark red button up with a black collar and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “You look quite handsome, yourself.”

“Aw,” he laughed nervously, scratching at the back of his head. “Ignis made me get this shirt. He said I needed to dress like an adult.”

Artemisia laughed at that, and they went and sat at a table that had been reserved for them. They ordered their meals and a glass of wine each, clinking their glasses together and taking a sip.

“I was surprised when Noctis told me that you wanted to meet me here tonight,” Prompto admitted. “Can’t say I saw that one coming.”

Artemisia regarded him curiously. “That’s odd. Ignis and Gladiolus told me that it was you who wanted to met me her tonight.”

Prompto cocked his head to the side, realizing they’d both been set up. He looked around for any sign of his friends, but didn’t see anyone nearby.

“Well,” he shrugged with a smile. “I’m glad they tricked us, then. Because now I get to have dinner with the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met.”

Artemisia felt heat rush to her cheeks and blamed it on the wine, smiling into her glass. Dinner was easy, and conversation came naturally. Prompto had never felt more comfortable with someone in his entire life, especially a girl, and Artemisia found herself laughing more than she ever had before. 

When dinner came to an end, Prompto offered to continue their evening by going for a walk around the city. Artemisia accepted his invitation and he offered her his arm. She looped her arm through his, her hand coming to rest on his bicep, and they walked together through Altissia’s cobblestone streets.

The string lights that wove overhead mimicked the stars in the night sky, the yellow glow making Prompto’s hair seem even more golden. He led Artemisia further up until they were at the highest overlook, one where they were able to see the entire city and even further beyond.

“It’s beautiful here, it’s it?” Artemisia sighed, leaning against the railing. She turned to Prompto to see if he was admiring the view, but instead she found that he was looking right at her. She shifted under the heat of his gaze and felt him take a step closer.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice carrying a slight tremble.

“Please,” she replied, barely above a whisper. He placed one hand on her waist and the other along her cheek and closed the distance between them. Hesitantly, he pressed his lips against hers, so soft and so gentle that it was barely there, almost as if he was still asking for her permission.

She tilted her head and leaned into him, pressing a little more. His lips moved against hers and she brought her arms up to loop around his neck as both of his came down to pull her flush against him. They pulled away briefly, and Prompto placed a few soft butterfly kisses on her mouth and cheek, earning a giggle when he pulled away.

“I had a lot of fun with you tonight,” he said, playing with a strand of her hair. “I was wondering if we could do this again? Hopefully sometime soon?”

Artemisia bit her lip and nodded. “I’d like that.”

Prompto smiled so wide that his cheeks hurt and leaned in for another kiss.

Off to the side, ducked behind a stone wall, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio exchanged high-fives.

“That was easy,” Noctis noted, pretending to dust off his hands.

“I daresay we have a knack for matchmaking,” Ignis agreed. “Though I must admit, those two were a rather easy sell. Barely any resistance from either party. It took me longer to convince Prompto to purchase new garments for this date, if I’m honest.”

Gladio snorted. “Come on,” he led his other friends away. “Let’s give them some privacy.”


End file.
